“I’m not stupid.” Beth huffed. “I know what you’re doing. Suddenly you’re making time for breakfast and lunch every day and a snack, and Nick hasn’t missed dinner since he got back from Charleston. You’ve got Operation Feed Beth in full swing.”

“Full of yourself much?” Suzy laughed. “If you must know, I’m working off a lot of calories every night being a newlywed and all so I have to put some of them back on during the day. Marathon sex really takes it out of a girl.”

Despite herself, Beth couldn’t contain the giggle that slipped out. “You’re full of it, but I’m gonna stop there before you insist on telling me any graphic details about your nights. I need to be able to look Gray in the eyes without further intimate knowledge of him.”

“Ah, suit yourself. Intimate knowledge of Gray is the best kind. That man has so many talents.”

“Why, sis, that sounded almost dreamy.”

“Oh, bite me,” Suzy snapped.

“Wow. I knew you would come begging, but I never thought it would be in front of your sister.”

Beth whirled in her chair to see Nick leaning against the doorway with his usual sexy grin. Is it wrong that I want to jump on him, roll him down the hallway, and rip his zipper open with my teeth? She only half listened as he continued to trade barbs with Suzy. When Beth’s gaze finally locked with his, she could tell that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, she tried to look away before Suzy noticed the heat between them.

Nick cleared his throat and asked, “Are you ready to go, princess?”

“Um . . . I just need to finish up a few things with Suzy.”

Waving her hand toward the door, Suzy said, “Uh, please, just go. I can’t get anything done while you make puppy-dog eyes at each other. Just don’t make out in the damn elevator, please. I have to ride in that thing.”

When Nick smirked and opened his mouth, she held her hand up to stop him. “Forget I said the word ride.” With a satisfied grin, Nick shut his mouth and followed Beth out the door.

“So, where to for dinner, princess? How about Italian?”

Did these people ever miss a meal anymore? She felt like she spent her entire day, every day, planning her next meal. She had given up getting away with not eating breakfast and lunch. Suzy watched her like a hawk, so there was no hiding anything. Nick, however, was a different story. As long as they ate at home, she could get away with eating very little. She distracted him using a usual male weakness: ESPN. She insisted on eating in front of the television, saying it was more relaxing and, being a guy, he couldn’t turn it down.

She was ashamed to admit that she had resorted to hiding food in the couch cushions and going back later to throw it away. Within a few minutes of settling in front of Sports Center, Nick was totally oblivious to everything around him. She could pop out a boob and he wouldn’t notice. As long as she stuck with food such as sandwiches, which were easily slipped under a cushion, he was none the wiser. He didn’t say anything, but she knew he was happy when he looked at her empty plate.

Part of her knew that it was wrong, but what could she do? She was eating more than she had been, so couldn’t everyone just be happy about that? The scales showed that her deception was working. Despite the meals during the day, she was still maintaining her weight. Instead of being filled with dread, she was actually looking forward to tomorrow’s doctor’s appointment. The number on the scales would be something to be proud of for once.

“Hellooo? Italian?” Nick asked again.

Oh, crap. How am I going to get around that? Even if we get takeout, it’s going to get messy hiding spaghetti or pizza in the couch. Think fast . . .

“Hey, what about the place down the street, Manzoli’s? I don’t want pasta, but they have great subs. We could get it to go. Wasn’t there a game on that you wanted to watch tonight?”

Nick beamed his approval at her. “Good idea, babe.”

I’m a rotten person. The man is looking at me like I’m a rock star while I plot to buy a sub that will fit under the cushions without causing too much mess. The acting award for the most convincing liar goes to Beth Denton!

* * *

Beth woke to a hand gently rubbing her stomach. At first, she thought that Nick was trying to wake her up in the way that they both enjoyed. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t move to let him know that she was awake, maybe curiosity. When his hand didn’t move past her stomach, she was intrigued. He caressed the slight swell of her belly softly, almost reverently. His fingertips explored every inch, as if memorizing her new shape.

Normally, this type of scrutiny would have made her uncomfortable, but something was different in his touch. There was nothing sexual, nor did she feel like he was having any negative thoughts about her changing body. The opposite seemed to be true. She lay there while he explored her for what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes. Just when she was planning to move, signaling that she was awake, he leaned over her and softly kissed her stomach. She held her breath and tried to will away the tears that were gathering in her eyes. She was thankful when he slid out of the bed and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

What had just happened was so out of character for the Nick that she knew. His actions made it appear that he was happy about her pregnancy. But he never really mentioned it other than asking her how she was feeling, so she assumed that he was in denial. Now she had to wonder if Nick was handling her pregnancy better than she was. Did he think he would freak her out if he talked about the babies or showed excitement? Was she depriving him of her pregnancy by trying to protect him? Maybe it was time to stop acting as if it wasn’t happening and see where Nick stood.

Pregnancy was supposed to be one of the most exciting times in a couple’s life. Just because Beth and Nick weren’t married didn’t mean it couldn’t be that way for them as well. After her doctor’s appointment, she would drag him into Babies “R” Us and see how he took it. She had to smile at the image of a ladies’ man like Nick in a baby store, where he would either sink or swim.

Chapter Twenty-six

When they were settled into the waiting room at the ob-gyn’s office, Nick looked around and whispered, “These women here hate men.”

“What are you talking about?” she whispered back.

“Just look around. Most of them are giving me evil looks. Is this like when you have a baby and you start screaming obscenities at the father because you’re in pain?”

Trying to hide her smile, she said, “Yeah, maybe.” She didn’t bother to add to his inflated ego by telling him that most of the women were looking at him as if he were the last piece of cheesecake on a buffet. Let him continue to think they were staring for a different reason. He would probably send one of them into labor if he turned his sexy grin on them.

“So, how about breakfast after this? We left home before we had a chance to eat.”

Beth couldn’t contain her groan. “Could we at least get through an hour without someone mentioning food?”

Nick gave her an innocent smile that didn’t fool her for a minute.

“Beth Denton.”

They both stood as the nurse called her name. As if trained, Nick walked past the scales and to the end of the room. She almost called him back since she was pleased with what she knew the number would be, but thought better of it. If she had lost any weight, he wouldn’t be happy about it and would redouble his efforts to feed her.

The nurse frowned as she recorded the number. “You are two pounds lighter than your last appointment. Have you been experiencing morning sickness?”

With a rueful smile, Beth said, “Yes, I have.”

“Well, make sure you replenish your fluids, dear. You can talk to the doctor about taking something to lessen it.”

Beth gave Nick a bright smile as the nurse led them into a room and helped her up onto an examination table. He gave her a puzzled look, clearly expecting the same response she’d had at her last weighing in public. When the doctor came in a few moments later, she asked about her morning sickness and Nick mentioned her dizzy spell from last week.

“That can happen in pregnancy if you don’t have regular meals and snacks. You have to remember that your body is processing food faster and it’s easier to have dips in insulin levels.” Nick shot her a smug grin as she promised the doctor to eat small meals throughout the day. “Now, if you would lie back, we will listen to the babies’ heartbeats. The Doppler should pick them up now.”

Nick stepped closer as if fascinated. “You can actually hear the heartbeats through that?”

The doctor smiled, charmed as everyone seemed to be with Nick. “We sure can.” Then the doctor put the small probe against Beth’s stomach. Soon, a loud, galloping sound filled the room. The doctor smiled as Nick jerked in excitement. Beth found herself lost in the moment as well, moved to tears at the evidence of the lives she carried. The doctor frowned and continued to move the probe as if searching for something. “I can only detect one of the heartbeats, which happens. Sometimes it can be hard to get in the right position to hear them both. Just as a precaution, I’m going to send you for an ultrasound.”

Both she and Nick turned to the doctor in alarm. “Is . . . Is something wrong with the babies?” Beth asked.

“It’s just routine, Miss Denton. When you’re pregnant with twins, you’re followed more closely, plus I’m sure you would enjoy seeing your babies again.”

Nick gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as he helped her up from the table. She could feel her body trembling as she walked down the hall to the ultrasound room. Despite the doctor’s reassurance, she was terrified, and she could tell that Nick was as well, despite how much he tried to hide it from her. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted these babies until she was faced with the thought of losing them. Oh, God, please let them be okay. Please God, please.

The ultrasound technician was overly cheerful, as if trying to set their minds at ease. Nothing would do that though until she saw that both babies were fine. When the black-and-white screen came to life and the technician started looking at different angles, Beth held her breath. Nick gripped her hand tightly, as if he were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. When the technician removed the probe and stood, Beth knew something was wrong. “I’m going to get the doctor to check this, if you will excuse me for a moment.”

Beth turned to look at Nick. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” She could see the effort it took for him to smile as if he wasn’t worried.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, princess. Just harder to see two babies than only one. Please relax. I will have you at a breakfast buffet before you know it.”

The doctor came in alone and took the seat that the technician had vacated. Beth asked her the question she had asked Nick. “Is something wrong?”

The doctor didn’t answer right away. Instead, she continued to look at the monitor as if searching for something. Finally, when Beth was certain she wasn’t going to answer, she removed the probe, but left the lights dimmed. “Miss Denton, the ultrasound shows only one fetus.”

“So why did you think I was carrying twins?”

“Miss Denton, you were carrying twins. I’m afraid you have experienced what we call vanishing twin syndrome.”

Nick stood up, still holding Beth’s hand. “What exactly is that?” he demanded.

“It’s when two heartbeats and fetuses are detected on your first ultrasound, indicating twins, and on your next ultrasound visit, one no longer exists. Due to doctors requesting ultrasounds earlier in pregnancies, this is detected much more than it used to be.”

Beth sat forward and, in a panic, grabbed her stomach. “But where is my baby? How could it just not be there? It’s only been a month since my last appointment.”

The doctor laid a hand on her arm, trying to calm her down. “Miss Denton—Beth—since it was so early in your pregnancy, one twin was just reabsorbed by the other one. There is little evidence when this happens that the other twin ever existed, other than the first ultrasound.”

Choking back tears she asked, “Did I do something that caused this to happen?”

The doctor looked at her in sympathy and patted her hand again. “No, Beth, there is nothing you did that caused this to happen. The usual cause is a chromosomal defect. It’s nature’s rather harsh way of handling a pregnancy that isn’t viable.”

Seeing Beth’s agitation, Nick sat back down beside her and gripped her hand. “What about the remaining baby?” he asked. “Will Beth have problems with the pregnancy?”

“Everything looks perfectly normal with the baby you are carrying. Since the loss of the twin happened in your first trimester and you had no bleeding or cramping, there is no reason to believe that your pregnancy won’t continue on normally.” The doctor rose to her feet and said quietly, “I’m going to give you some privacy. When you’re ready, the nurse will bring you to my office and I can answer any other questions you might have. Please take all the time you need.”